Definition

A fee for treatments where you don’t stay overnight at a hospital. It’s usually less expensive than inpatient care.

What to consider

  • Review all outstanding charges carefully.
  • Negotiate based on documented discrepancies.
  • Understand the terms of the settlement agreement.

Real world scenarios

  • After a prolonged billing dispute, a patient negotiated a settlement option that reduced the total due.
  • Mark agreed to a lump-sum settlement for his overdue medical bill to avoid further collection efforts.
  • Susan worked with a settlement service to resolve a high hospital bill for a non-emergency procedure.

Related terms

Healthcare